Chapter 2

At the case briefing, after listening to my mom's autopsy report, the officers all had somber expressions.

My death was gruesome, making facial identification impossible.

The abandoned building where my body was dumped was not the original crime scene, significantly increasing the difficulty of solving the case.

Dad instructed the officers to search the area around where the body was found for any suspicious activity.

"Have the forensic pathologist perform another autopsy to see if there's anything new, and send the DNA samples to the forensic lab as soon as possible."

He left my mom with that remark before hurrying off with his team.

They showed more concern for the body than they ever did for me.

My mom once stroked Matthew's hair and said that being a forensic pathologist was a noble profession. She believed that giving a voice to the dead was an important duty.

I watched as Matthew nodded in agreement. However, the moment my mom turned away, Matthew wiped his hair in disgust.

That time, I slapped Matthew across the face, but my dad punished me by shaving my head bald.

Now, my mom gently touched my hair with a hint of sadness and whispered, "To die so horribly... his family must be heartbroken."

I smirked bitterly. My family would probably be relieved by my death. Maybe only Amy would feel a little sad.

Mom's gloved hand moved across my back.

There was a large burn scar there, one I got after being kidnapped.

When they brought me home that year and I changed clothes, my mom stared at it in surprise. There was a hint of disgust in her expression. "How did you get that on your back? That's disgusting. Don't scare Matthew."

Could she recognize me now because of this scar?

I bit my lip nervously. Beads of sweat were forming on my forehead.

But a second later, Mom dismissed it casually. "This didn't happen this time."

Ruby, suddenly gasped softly. "Dr. Stella, there's a piece of paper in the victim's stomach!"

My mom's eyes widened as she took the paper and sighed. "The stomach acid has already corroded it. We'll see if the crime scene investigation (CSI) can analyze it later."

Suddenly, a phone rang. It was Matthew's favorite song.

Mom quickly removed her gloves and rushed to the hallway. Her voice was soft and loving.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong? Mommy's at work."

"Tomorrow?" Mom paused for a moment, then gritted her teeth. "Dad and I will definitely be there to cheer you on. Amy is on a business trip and won't be back in time."

Matthew's happy voice filled my ears. "Love you, Mom! I really hope Ethan can come watch my match. If he’s there to support me, I'm sure I'll win.

"It's fine if he doesn't want to come. It's normal that he doesn't like me. After all, I've hogged all your and Dad's love for so many years."

Even though Matthew and I had never gotten along, from the day I returned home, he was always secretly framing me.

But in front of our parents, he loved pretending we were close brothers.

From my experience, I figured Mom would be criticizing me soon.

Sure enough, Mom's voice suddenly grew sharp. "You are my precious son. What does Ethan even count for? He steals from the family and bullies you behind our backs. He doesn't deserve to be my son."

"Don't worry, even if he broke his leg, I'd make sure he wheels himself to watch your match!"

Matthew giggled happily. "Dad called me today to remind me to stay safe. Mom, if you get the chance, make sure you remind Ethan too."

"You take care of yourself. As long as Ethan doesn't die in front of me, I don't care what he’s up to." Mom always spoke about me with such disdain.

Maybe it was because the son they found was not raised properly and did not fit the family's standards.

Even after I was found, they refused to change my last name.

In their hearts, the only son they had was Matthew.

While they worried about his safety, no one remembered that I was their real son.

I wonder what their reaction would be when they found out how I died.

After all, Matthew was the one responsible for my death, and they were part of it too.